Tight wire rigging



July 21, 1953 F. P. EVERS TIGHT WIRE-RIGGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1951 INVENTOR. RBI/6146.

I rank A TTORN E Y.

July 21, 1953 F. P. EVERS TIGHT WIRE RIGGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild Dec. 8, 1951 INf'g/TOR.

ers

I ATTORNEY.

' supporting the performer or performers. v I specifically, the invention has as subject to provide a tight wireapparatus having self contained by guy wires. v

Other objects will become apparent in the en- Patented July 21, 1953 mm OFFICE I 2,646,280 TIGHT WIRERIGGING Frank- P. Evers, Los Angeles, Calif. Application December s, 1951, Serial N0. 260,648

UNITEDiTfSTAT-E S- V '10 Claims. 1 6 This invention relates to apparatus for use object to provide a portable, self'contained apparatus particularly adapted for interior use,

e. g., upon a vaudeville stage, or in other per: formances within a building where it' may be objectionable to attach guy wires to the stage or other parts of the building, for maintaining the tight wire under the required tension for More onthe line 55 of Fi 4; l

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken gen-i 'erally as 'indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig.3; Fig. '7 is a detail sectional view taken generally as indicated by the line of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View taken generally as indicated by-the line 8-8 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View, taken on line .9--9 of Fig. 4, illustrating. the dolly locking mechanism. V, r

i As an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, I have shown in the drawings a tight wireapparatus embodying self braced means for supportingv a tight wire I0 under tension, in a horizontal position elevated above a supporting surface which is indicated by I the line H. q v

Theapparatus embodies a pair of supporting masts l2, to the upper end ofwhich the wire In is securely attached, as by conventional stirrups l3 encircling theupper 'ends of masts l2, resting upon respective lugs 14 integral andv Broadly, the invention is directed by tight wire performers, and has as its general projecting laterally from respective masts l2, and

retained against slipping off the upper ends of v the masts, by heads on said upper ends.

'Each'mast' I2 is carried by a respective support I! comprising a pair of legs! spreading downwardlylfrom a bracket IE to whichthe legs i l4 are respectively pivoted at their upper ends.

Brackets [5 are, secured to the'respective ends of a boom l8, l9 and are disposed in'parallel vertical planes transverse to the axis of the boom,

whichma'y be consideredas the main longitudinal'axis of the apparatus. Boom 18, IS ineludes a tubular shaft member 18 and a shaft member is telescoped into shaft member 18, the two shaft members collectively functioning as a compression member or strut for maintaining the brackets l5 in longitudinally spaced relation, resisting the pull of the tight wire Ill and a tensioning cable 16 both of which, in the apparatus as it is set up,are under tension and tend to drawj'the masts l2 toward each other. Masts 12 are pivotally connected to brackets I5 by pivots 20'. Pivots 26] extend through a pair of laterally spaced ears 2|..secured to a respective bracket 15 and a central earr22 which is secured to a respective mast l2. Ears Eifand 22 are secured to the members 15 and 12 re-' spectively in any suitable conventional manner, asby welding. Likewise, brackets l5 are. secured to the ends f the respective shaft members I 8, l9 in any suitable conventionalmanner as byweldingJ Tensioning cable 18 serves as the means for developing tension' in tight wire iil. Toithis end, it is secured atone end (Fig. 6) to a plunger 23 slidably mounted in a cylinder "24am having a head 25 which bears against a coil spring 26 engaged under compression between the head 25 and one end of cylinder 24. The other end ,of cylinder 24 is anchored to one of the masts 12. This is attained, in the particular apparatus herein shown, by providing the cylinder '24 with opposed openings through which masts l2 extend. Spring 26 is selected soas to provide a spring loading .cor-

responding to the tension that is desired in the tight wire Ill. The other end oftensioning-cable 16 (Fig. 1) isanchored to'a'cl'evis 21 which carries a pulley 28. Pulley 28 forms part of a conventional wire tightener embodying a flex- --ible element 29 such as a chain, anchored at oneend to a jack body'30 in the form of a yoke, and having its other end gripped by a sprocket 3| mounted in yoke 30' by means of ashaft 32 and actuated by a handle or lever 33 through a conventional ratcheting drive and holding pawl furcations of yoke 42.

'turn' buckle, take-up adjusting device 53.

to take the compression load imposed thereon being the downwardly extending one, being rela- 1Q tively shorter than arm 36, and having an extension arm'36 pivoted thereto at 363. Two sets of four guy wires each are attached to re-, spective fittings 38 on the ends of arms 36 and ..I4 (Fig. 3).

to a fitting 38' on the end of arm 36". Alternate guy wires 31' are provided with take -up connec I bers l8, l9. Intervening guy wires 31 are directly attached to hubs4fl by means of the end fittings 4i shown in detail in Figs. '7 and 8. 'Take-up connections 39 (Fig; 8) utilize a toggle principle. Each embodies a fitting 4!, attached to a hub 40 and having a clevis or yoke portion 42. An arm 43 has at one end a hub provided with trunnions 44 journalled in therespective A lever 45 has an end portion 46 curved outwardly around'the hub of arm 43, said lever being pivoted at 41 to a link the lever 45 will rotate arm 43 past a dead center position (aligned with the axis of fitting 4l within yoke' 42) to a point Where arm 43 may rotate counterclockwise and attain a position extending from yoke 42 toward link 43, so as to relieve tensionin the guy wire'31 to which link 48 isconn'ected' through the'medium of a In reestablishing tension in guy wire 31, rotation fof'lever of Fig. 8 in a' clockwise direction will effect the rotation of arm 43 clockwise from in alignment therewith, and beyond said posi- 8, in which position the takeup connection 39 theextended positionjust described, back to the aforesaid dead center position'of yoke '42 and becomes lockedas the result of engagement of 50 fguy wires 31 and hub 40.

Boom l8, I9 is collapsible to allow the apparatus to'be collapsed, for transportation purposes,

to a length approximately two-thirds its length when set up for use. A 'latch'bolt 54, slidably mounted on upper spider arm 36, is engageable in apertures in shaft members is and I9; to join the shaft members I9 together in a manner when the guy wires are tightened.

Additional guy wires 56 are each attached at one end to'fitting 33 and'at the other end to an ear 59 welded to the lower end of a respective mast 12.

Each mast I2 is of a truss construction embodying struts 60 secured to and projecting radially from masts l2 and tension elements 61 secured respectively to the upper and lower ends .of masts l2 and bridging across struts 63 in diagonal di- 75 ment l0 and an abutment l2.

support from dolly 13 to mast l2.

dolly legs 14 and sleeve 11.

rections such as to resist the loads against the upper and lower ends of masts l2 tending to bend themtoward each other about pivots 20.

At the lower ends of the respective masts 12 are arms 62 extending horizontally and away from each other in the common vertical plane of masts I2. Each arm 62 has, near its outer end, an upwardly facing opening 63 (Fig. 6) adapted to receive a ball head of a male latch element 64 which is carried by a pivot 65 pivotally joining adjacent ends of a pair of braces 66' connecting the legs i4. Braces 56 are pivoted at 61 to legs The upper ends of legs I4 are secured to face plates 68 (Fig. 4), which are pivoted, on pivots 69, tothe inner face of a respective bracket l5 on axes parallel to the main longitudinal axis of the apparatus. A latching plunger 10 is adapted to yieldingly engage the ball head of latch element 64 under the thrust of a compression coil spring H disposed in the bore of arm 62 under compression between ele- Plunger '10 cooperates with the remote side of opening 33 in yieldingly grasping the ball head of latch element 64 as indicated in Fig. 6. Opening 63 is sufficiently large so that ball head 64 may be withdrawn therethrough upon pressing latch plunger 70 back against spring H. Conversely, latch element 64 may be attached to leg 62 by inserting it through opening 63 and pressing it downwardly against plunger 10 causing the latter to retract.

By separating the latching connection between element 84 and arm 62, and moving the joined ends of braces 66 upwardly, braces 66 will function with a toggle action to draw legs 14 toward each other in a compactly folded position, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4. When attached to legs 62, latch elements 64 maintain braces 66 in their position shown in Fig. 3, bracing legs I4 in their spread position in which they support the respective masts [2 so as to maintain the tight wire I0 securely supported during a performance thereon.

Means is provided for supporting the apparatus for wheeling movement on a supporting surface,

for transportation between the interior of a building and the vehicle used in transporting the apparatus from place to place. Such mechanism comprises a pair of dollies 13 each having a pair of legs 14 provided at their lower ends with respective casters #5, said lower ends of legs 14 being connected by a cross brace 16 and the upper ends being secured to a sleeve I? that slid- .ably receives a respective mast I2 for vertical movement thereon. Dollies 13 also include an intermediate cross bar 18, secured to and extending between legs 14 so that the dolly frame has the shape of a letter A. At least one leg [4 of eachsupport'l'l is provided with an abutment collar 18, secured thereto, the lower end of the collar 18 being adapted, when legs l4 are folded toward each other and mast I2 is lifted upwardly with reference to dolly 73, to engage immediately above cross bar 18, whereby legs l4.may transmit The engagement of cross member 18 by sleeve 19 is between The engagement of collar 18 with crossbar TI may be locked by means of a latch element 80, pivoted at 8| to the sleeve "I9 and adapted toengage beneath cross bar 18 as indicated in Fig. 9, thus to lock the dolly l3 'in'a downwardly projected position with reference to mast l2, in which it will support one end it through the braces 65. additional function of bracing legs 14 against they are supported upon dollies l3.

of the apparatus with legs I4 elevated fromthe supporting surface 11..

. Operation In the apparatus described above, as set up for use, the masts I 2 are supported upon supports l1 in their spread positionsindicated in Fig. 3, and" the boom is, is, tight wire it, andtensiomng cable iii are suspended between'the masts l2. Boom l3, I9 functions to maintain the masts l2 spaced apart with tight wire and cable It both-under tension. Boom l8, l9 takesthe full compression load imposed thereon by the masts l 2, tending to move toward each other under the tension load in tight wire 10 and cable i6. Boom .IB, is is braced by the guy wiresti against buckling under this compression load. Any tendency of masts l2 to rotate about their own axes to whatever extent might be permitted byplay in the pivotal connection 28, is rigidly prevented by the anchoring of the outer ends of arms 62 to the legs The braces have the spreading farther apart under the downward load applied thereto especially when the weight of performers is imposed upon the tight wire.

Masts 12 are free topivot about their pivots in their common vertical plane, in response to increase in the loading of tight wire H3. Tight "wire performers require a certain amount of the masts through spring 23, provides for spreading of thelower ends of masts {2 to allow the upper ends thereof to move toward each other in response to downward deflection of tight wire l0. Such spreading movement of the lower end of masts; 12 will of course result in compression of spring 2%, and with'increa-sing'compression, its

load will increase, such being'the spring rate characteristic of a coil spring. Thus there will be a gradual increase inthe load in tight wire Ii! such as to absorb the increases in the loading of the tight wire by the weight of the performer when dancing or jumping thereon. It will be apparent that in the pivotal movement of masts toward and from each'other, just described, the position of boom l8, l9 and supports [3 willremain unaltered.

In collapsing the apparatus fromthe set up upon dolly 13.

, 6 I tion, and up to the point where-itis supported Pushing the masts l2 toward each other will bring the apparatus to the fully collapsed, con- Such condition, with reference to the, full line position of Fig. 1, has been obtained by pushing the right hand mast toward the left'hand mast, both masts being in elevated positionsupported upon dollies 13 as indicated in the dotted line showing. As the masts are thus pushed toward each other, allguy wires, the tight wire and cable It will sag to slack positions and the excess may :be accommodated in any suitable manner which will be obvious.

Insetting up the apparatus, a seriesof operations opposite to those described above, will be performed, the boom being first extended :and locked in the extended position, the dollies then being released and the legs 14 spread apart and locked by attachment of latch element 54 to respective arms 62; the guy wires 31 then bein tightened to rigidify the boom before the compressive load is imposed thereon, and, finally, the cable I6 being tightened to impose the desired tension upon tight wire Ill. v v

I claim: 1. In a self-contained tight wire apparatus, a pair of vertical masts, a horizontal boom to the respective ends of which said masts arepivotally connected for pivoting movements in a common vertical plane coincident with the axis of said boom, a tight wire attached tothe re-' spective upper ends of said masts and adapted to be stretched therebetween as the result of pplication ofa tensionload between the lower endsof, said masts, tensioning means attached to and connecting the lower ends of said masts, said tensioning means including a flexible tension element. and means for imposing thereon a tension load selected to provide the desired tension in the tightwire, andsupporting means upon which said masts arebar'ried', said sup-v porting--means comprising individual supports take-up means operable forselectively improving connection between said flexible tension element condition shown in Fig. 1, the jack 28-33 is released to release the tension in cable [6 and thus remove the compression load from boom l8, I9. The guy wires 31 may then be unloaded byactuating connection devices 39 to the tension releasing positions thereof. Legs I3 are. then released from arms 62 (by releasing latching elements (54 from arms 62) and folded inwardly to positions where their abutment collars 19 may engage the respective bridging portions of cross bars '18, thus placing dollies 1'3 in the supporting positions. The latch 53 may then be released to allow telescoping of shaft member i9 into shaft member is, whereuponthe masts 12 may be simply pushed toward each other, after having been lifted to positions in which The mast is held against tipping over during this operaand releasing the tension;

said tensioning means includes a yielding spring and one of said masts, permitting tiltable yielding of the upper ends of the masts toward each other when weight is imposed downwardly upon said tight wire.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said boom includes a pair of telescoping shaft members, latch means for latching said shaft.

members to each other in an extended position;

a spider'attached to said boom intermediate itsv ends in the extended position thereof, guy Wires attached to said spider, and means attaching said. guy wires to the respective ends of said boom, said means for at least some of the guy wires comprising wire tensioning devices.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises brackets to which said masts are pivoted, legs pivoted at their upper ends to respective brackets on axes parallel to the axis of said boom, and bracin means for releasably connecting the lower ends of said legs to the lower ends of said masts, to maintain said legs in downwardly spread relation. Y

3'. Apparatus as defined in claim '1, wherein 6. Apparatusas defined in claim 1; wherein said masts at their lower ends are provided with arms projecting horizontally and away from each other, and wherein said supporting means comprises brackets to which said masts are p vot a pair of legs for each bracket, pivoted thereto at their upper ends, a pair of braces pivoted together at adjoining ends and having their opposite ends pivotally connected to said legsnear the lower ends thereof, and latching means for connecting the adjoining ends of said braces to said arms for'bracing said legs in downwardly diverging spread relation.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises brackets to which said masts are pivoted, a pair of legs for each bracket, pivotally attached thereto at their upper ends and having lower ends adapted for lateral swinging movement between generally parallel, folded positions and downwardly spreading supporting positions; means for connecting the lower ends of said legs to the lower ends of said masts for bracing the legs in said supporting positions, and a pair of dollies, one

for each mast, each dolly including an A-shaped frame having at its upper end a slidable connection with a respective mast and having at its lower end a pair of laterally spaced casters, and means carried by said legs and engageable with said dolly frames in the folded positions 1 of the legs, for transmitting support from said dollies to the respective masts.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises brackets to which said masts are pivoted, a pair of legs for each bracket, pivotally attached thereto at their upper ends and having lower ends adapted for lateral swinging movement between generally parallel, folded positions and downwardly spreading supporting positions; means for releasably connecting the lower ends of said legs to the lower ends of said masts for bracing the legs in said supporting positions, and a pair of dollies, one for each mast, each dolly including an A-shaped frame having atits upper end a slidable connection with a respective mast and having at its lower end a pair of laterally spaced casters, and means carried by said legs and engageable with said dolly frames in the folded positions of the legs, for transmitting support from said dollies to the respective masts, said last means including anabutment on a respective dolly frame, an abutment on'a supporting leg for engagement with said dolly frame abutment, and a latching element on said leg, for latching the same to the respective dolly.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said boom includes a pair of telescoping shaft members and latch means for latching said shaft members to each other in extended positions in which said boom is adapted to maintain said tight wire and said tensioning means both under tension, said tensioning means including a take-up means operable for selectively imposing and releasing the tension, said latch means being operable, when the tension is released, to release said shaft members for telescoping movement to collapse the apparatus to a shortened condition in which transportation thereof is facilitated.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim. 1, whereinsaid boom includes a pair of telescoping shaft members and latch means for latching said shaft members to each other in extended positions in which said boom is adapted to maintain said tight wire and said tensioning means both under tension, said tensioning means including a take-up means operable for selectively imposing and releasing the tension, said latch means being operable, when the tension is released, to release said shaft members for telescoping movement to collapse the apparatus to a shortened condition in which transportation thereof is facilitated, and wherein said supporting means includes legs for supporting the apparatus in extended position for use; said apparatus further including dollies having roller Supports for engaging a supporting surface, and including means connecting said dollies to said masts for relative vertical sliding movement, and means for latching said dollies in fixed relation to the masts, with said roller supports projecting below the level of the lower ends of said legs, for supporting the apparatus for transportation on a supporting surface.

' FRANK P. EVERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 159,301 Carley Feb. 2, 1875 1,419,191 Acker June 13, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,741 Denmark July 2, 1919 

